One of the vilest smells you can have on your clothing is fish. It is also one of the most difficult tasks to get the smell of fish out of your clothes. The smell lingers and is unpleasant.
Key Takeaways
- Dissolve baking soda in warm water and soak the clothing overnight
- Use an enzyme laundry detergent
- Use a hot wash setting with your washing machine
- Dry the clothes in direct sunlight
The fishy smell tends to hang about just below the surface for a while before ambushing you at the most inopportune moment. You can’t hide it, you must get rid of the smell from your clothing. Furthermore, it can easily transfer between clothing and spread the vile smell.
Detergent and scents just cannot compete with the fishy smell so you can’t cover it up. With time and repeated treatments, you can save your apparel.
How To Get Fish Oil Smell Out of Clothes
Tools Required To Remove The Fishy Smell:
- Bucket
- Materials
- Baking soda
- Laundry detergent
Step By Step Guide to Remove Stench Using Baking Soda
- Dissolve half a cup of baking soda into warm water in a container large enough to immerse the affected clothing. Alternatively, you can add one cup of baking soda to the washing machine. Baking soda is a neutralizer that levels the acidity or alkalinity of particles thus decreasing or eradicating the smells.
- Leave the clothing submerged in the solution for an extended period, preferably overnight for the best results.
- Check the label of the clothing to ensure that you do not exceed the maximum temperature specified. If the temperature of the various clothing items varies significantly, wash them separately.
- Use the hottest water that the washing machine can be set at, or the hottest water that you can handle if you are doing a hand wash keeping in mind the maximum as set out on the clothing labels. Hot water plays a substantial role in the removal of a fishy smell.
- Wash the clothing using your chosen laundry detergent. A detergent with enzymes or “bio” works best.
- As hot water tends to shrink some fabrics it’s worthwhile to stretch the fibers a bit by giving the fabric a gentle tug while still wet.
- Line-dry the clothes by hanging them on a clothesline in direct sunlight. Take cognizance that some fabrics shrink in hot or warm water whether they’re line-dried or not.
Repeat the above steps as many times as it takes to remove the smell completely. Do not dry your clothes in your electric dryer until it is odor free. The smell can spread to other items not affected before if mixed in the dryer.
Alternatives To Baking Soda
Vodka
Plain vodka is an alcohol that has no artificial smell and it evaporates when dry.
How To Use Vodka In Removing Fishy Smells
Pour as much vodka as will be needed into a clean spray bottle or mister. Don’t waste by putting too much into the bottle, rather fill up when more is needed.
Spray the clothing containing the fishy smell with a higher concentration in areas where the smell is at its worst.
In addition to spraying, you can soak the clothing in a vodka solution.
Fill a container with a mixture of 2 parts of cold water to 1 part of vodka. Fully submerge the clothing then soak for approximately 1 hour.
Borax
Borax is a laundry additive that increases the cleaning power of the washing power of your choice. Used on its own makes Borax less effective so ensure that you use it with a detergent.
Its strong alkalinity reacts with acidic molecules to remove odors from your clothing.
How To Neutralize the Smell Of Fish Oil
To neutralize the smell of fish oil you apply a mixture of vinegar and lemon juice. Mix the vinegar and lemon juice then apply to the area where the fish oil was spilled.
Bottom Line
A fishy smell is one of the worst odors and is possibly the most difficult smell to remove from clothing.
Fortunately, you won’t be the first or last person that has to decide whether to dispose of the items or remove the smell.
While it can be tempting to discard the clothing, it’s definitely worth trying to salvage it. Even if it’s just to dedicate the clothing for future fishing trips.
Following the steps set out above, maybe repeatedly, will go a long way to saving your clothing and your budget. If you have any other tips or tricks that have worked for you please share them in a comment below!
Don’t forget to visit the OutdoorWorld Reviews homepage for more expert information and guides!
